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Kraken Travel Sailing Holidays
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28th April 2024 to 11th May 2024

Swan 47: Scotland – St Kilda – Faroe Passage

From £2170 per person

Deposit 25%. Trip balance due 12 weeks before departure.
On this adventure, we will explore some of the North Atlantic’s most beautiful and amazing islands as we sail between Scotland and the Faroe Islands.
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Suited to
Individuals, Couples, Families, Groups
Difficulty
Experienced sailors who wish to improve their navigation skills and / or prepare for their future Coastal Skipper certifications or Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore practical examinations.
Nights onboard
13
Vessel type
S&S Swan 47
Vessel length
47ft
Skipper
Yes - RYA Yachtmaster Instructor
Berth Style
bunks
Insurance Required
Yes
On this adventure, we will explore some of the North Atlantic’s most beautiful and amazing islands as we sail between Scotland and the Faroe Islands.

13 nights - Dates: 28 April - 11 May 2024

Price: £2,170 per person

We plan to spend the first week exploring the Scottish Isles, but we will always be keeping an eye on the weather windows to make the offshore passages to St Kilda & Faroe Islands. The outer Hebrides have many wonderful places to explore. There are the Small Isles of Muck, Canna, Eig, and Rum, famous for their pristine habitats and wildlife. There are amazing lochs with remote anchorage, where we can anchor and explore, like Loch Scavaig and Loch Carron. We will aim to anchor at the Shiant Islands, which are teaming with wildlife. Weather permitting, we will sail to St Kilda, before setting off on the offshore overnight passage to the Faroe Islands. This 2-days passage is a great introduction to offshore sailing in a watch system.

Please Note: this isn’t a luxury charter and is more of a sailing experience as you are on a working passage & sailing training trip in which all crew share duties onboard including cooking and cleaning. Please see the ‘Other Practical Information section for more information.

Tentative: Oban – Tobermory – Small Isles – Skye – Shiant Islands – St Kilda – Torshavn.

  • Food onboard
  • Diesel
  • Marina fees
  • Sail training (No Hidden fees).
  • Food & drinks ashore
  • Wet gear
  • Travel to/from the yacht

Max 5 crew.
RYA Yachtmaster Instructor.
Full crew involvement and training.
Suitable for all levels, novices are welcome.
Good training trip for all levels.

How much experience do I need to join this adventure?

The short answer – NONE! We have had several crew who have never even set foot on a sailboat before, but they have the dream, and that’s what’s important. Come with a desire for adventure and a personality to match. You’ll of course understand more of what’s going on the more experience you have, but it’s not in fact required. That said, we do require a certain level of physical fitness to join us on an offshore passage. Regardless of how much we emphasize it, most people still underestimate how difficult it is simply to live on the boat offshore, even on a nice day.

What amenities are on board?

Not too many! The yacht offers a very simple offshore sailing platform. Beds are proper sea bunks, and we provide sheets and pillows. You’ll need a sleeping bag on colder trips. The yacht has heating, making colder passages a lot more enjoyable. It is a well-stocked and wisely-rigged yacht for offshore sail training, but it is still a boat. Water, power and gas are limited but when used in moderation, there is plenty for every passenger to cook, clean, write & read every day. Each bunk is supplied with a separate USB port for charging electronics and reading lights. There are two heads (sink, toilet and shower) on the boat for light showering underway. The main shower is in the cockpit, so it’s bikini and board shorts for showering time. The Captain and crew will stock the boat with plenty of snacks and drinks as well as provisions for one hot meal each day on passage and drinks from the onboard bar once the boat is docked. Please feel free to send along a few of your favourite food items as a request when you book your voyage. Plan to spend your days and nights sailing, cooking, reading and looking at the stars. If you have any questions about certain amenities on board, please contact us.

Do I get my own bunk?

We can guarantee your own separate bunk with a personal USB port and a place to store your bag. In certain conditions (lack of wind or rough conditions) we may reconfigure sleeping arrangements to allow crew members who are off-shift to rest in optimal bunks to ensure they get adequate sleep for the voyage.

What are the duties onboard?

It’s a Working Passage – We share all tasks on-board: cleaning, cooking, standing watch and navigating. We are very good at making everyone feel at ‘home’ onboard. This means, aside from our one hot meal per day ritual, you’re on your own for food & snacks. If you’re hungry, make a sandwich, and ask your watch partner if she wants one – take care of each other & don’t expect the captain or crew to wait on you! You’ll be expected to do some or all of the following – don’t know how to do it? We’ll teach you! Also note that there will be equal opportunity for all crew members to get equal time on the boat helming, navigating, sail work, etc.

What level of adventure is this trip?

This is not a “charter boat” – it’s a sail training yacht, not a luxury cruise – and the adventure sailing & sail training trips we do are closer in spirit to trekking Kilimanjaro than they are to a typical summer cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. On offshore passage, there will always be a mate onboard in addition to the skipper, to safely sail the boat, but we expect crew on all adventure to, with guidance from the skipper, to take care of themselves for the most part when it comes to eating, sleeping & living on the boat.

What’s the food like?

Our crew eat super healthy food, made as much from natural, whole ingredients as possible. We’ve created some awesome boat meals during our sea time. However, there is no way we can make individual meals for everyone – but we’ll honour any allergies of course. One hot, communal meal per day in the late-afternoon (so we can be cleaned up with dishes before dark). Breakfast, lunch & snacks are on your own – though it’s nice to ask if others are awake. Feel free to use the stove and galley anytime, and all food is up for grabs. We’ll share the washing-up duties and make a galley rotation before we leave port. Meals & snacks should be consumed in the galley, cockpit or saloon area. No eating or drinking anything, under any circumstances, in your bunk or at the chart table & Navigation station!

Do I have to hold watch?

Yes, everyone on board will be assigned a watch schedule and watch partner. Holding watch is also a very rewarding experience, especially at night when the moon lights the chop on the water and the sounds of the water on the hull, dolphins breath and the wind in the sails is amplified. For many crew, night watches are the most memorable moments of the adventure sail.

How long are the watches?

Our watch schedule is flexible and based on the experience and comfort level of the crew. Normally, crew members are paired off in groups of two and do four hours on & four off or four hours on & eight hours off on an offshore passage with a first mate onboard. The skipper ‘floats’ – meaning he doesn’t take any formal watch, but rather helps out when needed on all watches and makes sure to spend time sailing with all the crew.

What’s the best way to prepare myself for going offshore?

Everybody who’s not been offshore, even the experienced coastal or inshore sailors, underestimates the physical toll just living on the boat at sea takes. Everybody. The boat is constantly in motion, even on nice days. Things like brushing teeth, going to the bathroom, just putting on socks take time and physical effort. To make it more difficult, you’ll be sleep-deprived during most of it, especially before you fully adjust to the rhythm. Offshore sailing is closer to living like an astronaut than coastal sailing where you get to stop and anchor for the night! Bottom line, the fitter you are, to begin with, the easier time you’ll have at sea. Eat right and exercise.

How much privacy do I get?!

The yacht is big, but not that big! You won’t have much privacy on board and will be living in close quarters in challenging conditions. But you’ll have the time of your life!

  • Each person will be assigned a single berth. This is yours. At sea, in certain extreme conditions, we may rotate where people sleep (‘hot-bunking’), but your bunk remains yours for your stuff. No snacking or eating in your bunk under any circumstances!
  • Each person will get their own ‘stuff’ locker adjacent to your bunk (about the size of a carry-on suitcase on an airplane).
  • When you sleep, most all your stuff will be stored outside of your seabag in the storage locker, as there is no storage for a seabag on the floor or in the vee-berth. Keep this in mind when packing.
  • There is shared space available for hanging your foulies and storing your boots in ‘wet lockers’

Glasgow or Edinburgh

Torshavn, Faroe Islands

Please Note: this isn’t a luxury charter and is more of a sailing experience as you are on a working passage & sailing training trip in which all crew share duties onboard including cooking and cleaning. Please see the ‘Other Practical Information section for more information.

Tentative: Oban – Tobermory – Small Isles – Skye – Shiant Islands – St Kilda – Torshavn.

  • Foul weather gear
  • Layered cold weather gear (fleeces, flannels, long sleeves, light windbreakers,etc.)
  • Wool socks
  • Gloves
  • Deck shoes (sneakers will work)
  • Sailing Boots
  • Hat (toboggan and visor)
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Books, magazines, entertainment (anything you like to peruse at your leisure)
  • Camera (capture and share your awesome voyage!)
  • Sailing gloves
  • Headlamp
  • Leatherman tool (but check your airline regulations for the flight home)
  • Waterproof bags/cases for phones, iPads and other electronic devices
  • Sleeping Bag as per season
  • Quick-dry towel

What Not to Bring:

  • Sheets
  • Pillows